Tooth-brush.



D. MOEAGHERN.

' TOOTH BRUSH.

APPLICATION IILE D APR. 6, 190B.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

WITNESS S.- wf

' 25 the brush on an enlarged scale.

30 figures.

DONALD MCEAOHERN, OF ARGYLE, ONTARIO, CANADA,

TOOTH-BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Application filed April 6, 1908. Serial No; 425,485.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD MGEAOHERN, of Argyle, in the Provinceof Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Tooth-Brushes, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to devise a tooth brush in which is provided a suitable retainer for a liquid dentifrice and water, and means for holding the bristles in shape and which is nevertheless as simple and cheap to construct as a brush of ordinary construction. A brush constructed in accordance with r. m invention comprises a back in which tufts of bristles are set in the ordinary way, and an inwardly inclined wall surrounding the tufts or bristles but only in contact with the bristles at its upper inneredges, thus leaving a reservoir surrounding the bases of.

2 the tufts of bristles.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a brush constructed in accordance with my invention, the head of thebrushbeing in section. Fig. 2 is a crosssection throughthe head of IFig. 3. isa plan view of the'brush with the bristles removed. f

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the difierent A is the brush handle, of any desired shape, and provided with the hole a by means ofwhich it may be hung to a suitable The head B of the brush has an oblong recess cut therein to form walls 0 integral with the back D. The sides of the recess are undercut so that the walls C incline inwardly from opposite sides. The ends of 40 -the'recess are also undercut, particularly the rear end, the undercutting of the forward.

endsof the recess not being of so much importance. 1

In the back at the bottom of the recessare formed a plurality of-rows of holes 6' in which are inserted the tuftsofbristles E.- The holes, it will be seen, are set inwardly from the bases of the side walls so that an nlnperforated portion of the back is'left be-,

v tween the outer rows of holes and the side walls. The walls are of such a height and so inwardly inclined that they contact with the sides of the outer rows of tufts of bristles at apoint intermediate their fixed and free ends.

greatest advantage as any such liquid apalong them partly by the brush being conducted to be just as durable."

It will be seen, particularly on reference to the sectional views, that a reservoir is thus formed at each side of-the bristles of the brush, each of WlllChyI'GSGI'VOllSiS substantially triangular in cross section, and which is substantially closed at its outer side by the contact of the side wall with the bristles. This construction ofv the brush enables a liquid dentifrice to be used "to the plied'to the brushaccumulates in the reser- .v'oirs, and when 'the'brush is tilted to the position 1n which it is used the liquid'fiows from the" reservoir to the bristles, flowing gravity and partly by capillary attraction till the points of the bristles are reached.

The importance of the inner upper edges of the sidewalls touching the bristles will understood, as otherwise when was tilted the liquid instead of the bristles would sim-' ply flow out of the lower'reservoir over the sidewall. The contact of the inner upper edges of the side walls with the bristles also serves the function of holding the bristles in shape without-interfering in any way with their free elastic action. l

- The comparatively deep undercutting of the rear end of the'recess is of importance as the brush 'is usually held'with the handle lower than the head of the brush and the liquid used therefore naturally tends to flow 'toward the handle. The comparatively large reservoir formed at this point serves to retain the dentifrice, and from it the dentifrice will flow when-the brush is inserted in the mouth and turned to the readily be horizontal position,

My brush not only possesses important advantages in use, but will cost no more-to construct than the ordinarybrush, and will The head of the brush is all in one piece, and the bristles are connected to the back in the ordinary manner, the extra material in the side walls and the extra labor of shaping being practically negligible quantities.

What I claim as I my invention is I 1. A brush head having an oblong recess with undercut sidewalls formed therein and a plurality ofrows of holes at the bottom of the recess, an unperforated portion being left between the outer rows of holes and projecting from the recess.

2. A brush head having an oblong recess with undercut side and rear end 'Walls formed therein and a plurality of rows of.

holes at the bottom of the recess; an unperforated portion. being left between the outer rows of holes and the side walls of'the re-' cess, in eombination'with tufts of bristles 10 set in said holes and projecting from the Argyle, Ont, 2nd April 1908.

' DONALD MOEACHERN. v Signed in the presence oI' J OHN G. RIDOUT, BELLE Looim. 

